1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to online communities where goods may be sold.
2. Discussion of Related Art
On-line shopping, or e-commerce, has in recent years become a popular way for consumers to shop for goods. Examples of popular consumer oriented e-commerce web sites include the well-known eBay® and Amazon.com® web sites as well as various shopping sites dedicated to goods from a particular vendor, for example the web sites of Dell, Inc., of Round Rock, Tex., or of Crutchfield, Inc., of Charlottesville, Va. These e-commerce sites typically provide for little interaction between vendors and potential buyers aside from the ability to e-mail questions from a shopper to a vendor. Further, it is appreciated that these e-commerce sites do not provide for real-time interaction between potential buyers.
Other e-commerce web sites, including those associated with organizations such as QVC, Inc., of West Chester, Pa., and the Home Shopping Network, Inc., of St. Petersburg, Fla., provide videos of people selling products and links to purchase said products. For example, a web site associated with QVC, Inc. permits potential buyers who are accessing the web site to send text messages that may be relayed to a person in a video selling the product. These text messages, however, are not displayed on the web site for other potential buyers to view. These e-commerce web sites also do not provide for real-time interaction between potential buyers.